Developing an English Students Workbook for Undergraduate Students Of Kertarajasa Buddhist College

Abstract

The need of English as the foreign language has been increasing significantly. Responding to the recent drastic change in English education, the English language programs worldwide have become increasingly aware of the need for curriculum. It is because effective language teaching and learning can only be achieved when teachers are aware of the learner needs, capabilities, potentials, and preferences in meeting these needs. (Toztzou 2014).

Demands for the higher education level make the need analysis especially for English learning at the college level is also necessary. The present research attempted at carrying out needs analysis on one of Buddhist College in Indonesia. The subject of this study was a Buddhist college located in municipality of Batu, Malang. The name was Sekolah Tinggi Agama Buddha (STAB) Kertarajasa Batu, situated in Jalan Ir. Soekarno No. 311 Batu.

The study was Research and Development (R&D) in which the main purpose is to develop educational product, in this term is student workbook. The researcher conducted several steps to develop an appropriate an English student workbook.The prosedures are; (1) needs analysis (2) product planning (3) product  development (4) product validation (5) product revision I (6)product try-out (7) product revision II (8) final product. The data of the study were collected through the observation, questionnaire, interview and expert validation checklist.

Based on data of need analysis which was followed by 52 students who filled the questionnaire, most of the  students conveyed that they have a problem in learning English. Also, there is not appropriate textbook available in the learning process. The students need a guide book used in the learning process. To solve this problem, the researcher developed an English student workbook based on the students need. The results of need analysis become the basis of how the researcher composed the workbook.

The developer needed to ask for judgment from the expert validators to attain the validity of the materials and the contents of the workbook. It involved two experts whose expertise in current research. They were experienced and knowledgeable in the domains of language program and knowledgeable developing instructional material for teaching English. Besides, the researcher applied try out from the draft of the workbook to gain empirical validity.

It can be said that through the entire steps of research and development, the materials are trust worthy and appropriate to be applied in the class. The researcher found that the students have good respons towards the developed book. They are interested in learning English because the book is helpful and offer activities to practice their Englih skill.  Besides, the cover of the book is more colourful and it is consist of some activities and excescises. In addition, the experts said that in terms of operation, the book is excellent. The pictures and illustrations are good.  In general, the language used is acceptable. The other good point of the developed book is the guide for teacher and students in the form of how to use the book page. Also, the content mapping is made orderly.

All above mention is about the strength, By far here some possible weakness of the product. First, pedagogically, the techniques in the book can be improved. Second, the researcher did not develop the material in ICT based student workbook. Therefore, these weaknesses could be used for the suggestion of the future researcher and the book developer.

Finally, the educational  product of this research of the developing English materials in the form of student workbook which were completely revised, arranged, and designed based on expert validation and  try out result. So, the materials were completely developed.

Keywords: need analysis, workbook